Helotes rings in the Christmas season

By Richard Erickson, San Antonio Express-News :
December 17, 2013

The annual Helotes tree lighting ceremony took place for the sixth year Friday at City Hall.

Photo By MARVIN PFEIFFER/Marvin Pfeiffer / Prime Time New

ABOVE: Keith Jedele, right, Tom Rifleman and Lisa Hassold play traditional carols with the Helotes Area Community Band during the annual Helotes tree lighting ceremony Friday.
LEFT: The Los Reyes Elementary Choir, under the direction of Gaby Montoya-Stier, performs for the crowd Friday during the annual Helotes tree lighting ceremony.

The Los Reyes Elementary Choir, under the direction of Ms. Gaby Montoya-Stier, performs for the crowd during the annual Helotes tree lighting ceremony at City Hall on Friday, Dec. 13, 2013. Photo by Marvin Pfeiffer / Prime Time Newspapers

The spirit of Christmas came to Helotes in full force this last weekend, as the city celebrated its annual tree lighting ceremony and enjoyed its time-honored community Christmas parade.

Some 500 residents and guests turned out for each event, according to Helotes Mayor Tom Schoolcraft, which, he added, have become part of the city's tradition over the last six years.

Schoolcraft explained that, in creating the events, he saw the twin celebrations as a way to involve the Helotes community.

“I thought it was a good idea,” the mayor explained. “We were always looking for all kinds of events to start in our community. This started small and it has grown each year.”

This year's tree lighting ceremony Friday at City Hall featured music from the Helotes Area Community Band, a volunteer group of nearly 50 members aged teens to senior citizens, who performed a variety of Christmas carols for the crowd.

And, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus were present to listen to all of the Christmas wishes.

Along with Santa, Saturday evening's parade featured more than 30 floats, marching bands and equistrian groups, Schoolcraft added. “The temperature was pretty brisk, but it was clear, so it was a great parade.”

Even though the events have only been put on by the city of Helotes for the past six years, the mayor said he believes they have become a community custom. “People look for to it and ask about it,” he said. “It's become a tradition as far as I know, another community event people look forward to.”

Schoolcraft noted that those community traditions were one element in Bloomberg Businessweek's ranking Helotes as the number one place to raise kids in Texas. “It was based on census data and other statistics, but community events had an influence.

“We build traditions the community can be involved in,” the mayor explained, “and hope they carry forward many years into the future.”